Some men won't marry their partners. By the time the woman has had children with him and realised he won't change his mind, it's too late.
That's why marriage is an outdated concept. It doesn't work. Because too much power rests in the hands of one half of a partnership.
Whoever stays at home with the kids is immediately at a disadvantage.
I think any couple who have children and live together, should receive the same rights as married couples do currently.
I'm not skating you personally, but your argument is nuts! You act like women are powerless. In fact, women hold ALL the strings but often are too scared to pull them.
For example, if women don't want to end up in this situation, I'd tell them:
- Don't move in with a man who hasn't proposed and booked a wedding;
- Don't have sex with a man who isn't committed to you;
- Don't stay with a man who won't marry you;
- Don't encourage your friends to move in with men they're not married to;
- Don't give up your job to raise kids with a man you're not married to.
It's not rocket science. But it's a trade off. No you can't get the financial benefits/security of marriage with any old bloke who agrees to shack up with you so you'll hope he'll commit one day. So stop giving uncommitted blokes the emotional/sexual benefits of being a husband before they've actually become a husband.
Yes it's old fashioned but maybe some old-fashioned beliefs protected us more than we realised.